MDHTALK - Metal Detecting Hobby Talk Join the Fight to Save the Hobbies

Federation of Metal Detector and Archaeological Clubs
Inc. (FMDAC)

FMDAC Website

FMDAC Facebook Page

The Federation of Metal Detector and Archaeological Clubs Inc. (FMDAC) was organized in 1984 as a legislative and educational organization and incorporated, as a non-profit, non-commercial, non-partisan organization.

The FMDAC's Mission: The FMDAC is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and protection for the hobby of recreational metal detecting and prospecting.

The FMDAC's Purpose:
To unite, promote and encourage the establishment of metal detecting clubs.
To preserve the sport / hobby of recreational metal detecting and prospecting.
To make available to FMDAC clubs and Independent members information pertaining to the hobby and to keep members informed as to active legislation.

The FMDAC's Goal is to Educate and inform the public as to the merits of recreational metal detecting.

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2018 FMDAC News Grams
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April 17, 2018 Press Release
Hello to all members and non members. Please read the announcement below direct from the FMDAC President, Mark Schuessler

Target Recovery Certification Program
The Federation of Metal Detector and Archaeological Clubs will be conducting its first target recovery course at Treasure Week at Fox Den Acres Campground, July 14 - 21, 2018. This will be our kickoff for the program that we intend to take nationwide. This is an effort to teach proper recovery techniques and stem the tide of sloppy habits that we are seeing becoming prevalent in many areas including the internet. It will take place on the first weekend at a specific times to be announced on Saturday morning.

This course will be conducted in Four parts. The

Part One: is a sit down "classroom" talk. Proper ethics will be discussed along with a discussion of target recovery tools and accessories.

Part Two: will be demonstrations of different recovery techniques that will be shown as many times as necessary.

Part Three: will be practice time. Participants will practice the techniques with any needed assistance from instructors. When they feel confident of the techniques then the final phase will be the test. They will have to demonstrate each of the techniques to the satisfaction of the instructor with no prompting or assistance. After successful completion each person will be given a certification card.

This is a "hands on" course. The reason is quite simple. There are handouts showing proper techniques which we have been distributing for years. Manufacturers talk about it in their instruction manuals. There are places on the internet that you can watch target recovery videos. You can even get a certificate after watching them. These are all good as it does show proper techniques. However they in no way insure that the person can actually do it properly. It only shows that the person can read or click a mouse! Although this course does not insure that any particular individual will use the techniques and do them properly, it DOES show that they have demonstrated that they can do them properly. We will be placing videos on the internet in the near future but they will not take the place of the course.

This certification card can be used when asking permissions. It can also be incorporated into permit systems or used to help reverse or stop detecting bans from happening. The course will be a work in progress. We will make changes as necessary to streamline and improve it. It will also be a two way discussion. There are many, many people who are great at recovering targets and can add to the discussions and may have some things to add to our course. There are many who may be able to go straight from the demo stage to the test phase with no problem at all.

The course is not meant or intended in any fashion to point fingers and no one should be apprehensive about taking part. It is 100% intended to be educational. We also realize that the techniques may need to be modified for different areas of the country according to the ground conditions. This will take place as necessary.

If you will be at Treasure Week on the first weekend then consider sitting in on the course. The hobby you help save will be your own!

November 24, 2017 Press Release
April 28, 2017 FMDAC News Release

Attention everyone......March 15, 2017
Just found out about this bill in the NH legislature. It has already passed the House and is in the Senate. It apparently passed the house by a voice vote. The full text of the bill is below. Really simple as it says dredging is banned. I know this is not metal detecting proper but we are all in this together. Many people are involved in both hobbies. So lets act quickly to try to put the brakes on this one.

Also there are 2 cities that have recently banned detecting. We are working with them on a local level right now.
Here s a link to the NH senate committee where the bill is at right now. Web link
Here is the senate contact page. Web Link
New Hampshire House Bill 591 Sponsors: Web Link
If you live in NH then please contact your senator. If you do not then please contact the committee and any senators and let them know about your vacation plans.
Mark Schuessler, FMDAC National President

August 14, 2016 FMDAC Press Release
SAA Task Force on Professional Archaeologists, Avocational Archaeologists, & Artifact Collectors Web Link
September 07, 2015 FMDAC Presidents Message Read Here
March 05, 2015 FMDAC Presidents Message 1st Qtr Select Here
November 13, 2014 FMDAC Presidents Message Fall 2014 Select Here
May 09, 2014 - Presidents Report on Facebook or View This PDF File
May 09, 2014 - FMDAC's Response to the Massachusetts Metal Detecting Issue Fackbook or View This PDF File
December 27, 2013 - Presidents Report on Facebook
August 24, 2013 - 2013 2nd Qtr President's Report

MDAW - Metal Detecting Association of Washington

MDAW Website

MDAW FaceBook

The Metal Detecting Association of Washington was started to promote, protect and preserve recreational metal detecting here, in the State of Washington. Some of the concerns related to detecting in this state are unique to the Pacific Northwest. As a group we strive to work with hobbyists, in clubs or not, who want to enjoy metal detecting, follow the rules set down about the hobby and in some cases help to change those rules. The MDAW works in cooperation with the Office of Historical and Archaeological Preservation of Washington State and Washington State Parks.

The MDAW is an active organization of metal detecting clubs and individuals throughout Washington State working to promote recreational metal detecting for the public.

A project being worked on at this time is trying to get state parks to open more areas within the designated state recreational lands to recreational metal detecting.

Having completed an educational workshop with staff from the archaeological preservation office of Washington State. We have what we feel is a good working relationship and are working to keep it that way.

On the following pages you will find many parks and other areas that may be open to metal detecting. Always make sure that an area is ok to detect.

Please read these links to the latest WA State Park rules.

Metal Detecting Maps Be sure you check maps and complete a metal detecting brochure.

County and city rules may vary. Please check with the individual parks departments.

Texas Association of Metal Detecting Clubs

The purpose of the TAMDC shall be to unite, promote, and encourage metal detecting clubs in Texas, through education and instruction in the recovery and preservation of historical facts, relics, and artifacts. It is the intent and charter of this association to develop and maintain a positive image for metal detectorists and their activities at local, state, and national levels through performance of selected community service projects and through adherence to the TAMDC code of ethics.

T.A.M.D.C. Website

T.A.M.D.C. FaceBook Page

The Historical Hearne-Gidden Home Coming Back to Life
From Houston to Ft. Worth, from Dallas to Austin, and all towns in between, twenty metal detectorists from the Texas Association of Metal Detecting Clubs (T.A.M.D.C.) converged on Kosse, TX on December 16th in partnership with the Kosse Heritage Society for a T.A.M.D.C. “GIVES BACK” Community Service Project. The purpose of the event was to help raise awareness and funds for Kosse Heritage Society’s, Hearne-Gidden Restoration Project, by recovering historical artifacts from the ground around the historical home. Read More

World Wide Association of Treasure
Seekers

(WWATS Website) - Keith Wills

04-25-15 The "State" of Our Hobby
By: Keith Wills
The excitement and adventure of treasure hunting for gold nuggets, old lost coins, lost jewelry, and items from our past is in everyone's blood, for we all seek what we do not have. For me, I started metal detecting as a kid to build my first coin collection, it was much more intriguing to search for lost treasures beneath my feet than simply buy a coin collection, which I could not afford at the time.

For over 43 years now my father and I have enjoyed metal detecting together with great success. I will always have our memories we shared of putting on those headphones and the rest of the world disappearing for us. The sweet competition we shared in seeing at the end of the day which of us had found the nicest piece of jewelry or the most coins. We always look forward to that next treasure hunt adventure. However, as time goes on, many outside forces interrupt our long time-shared fun together, even when we fight to hold on to the right to continue to enjoy it.

Today the average metal detector user finds him or her surrounded by new laws enforced to restrict our freedom to enjoy a recreational pastime. However, it may not be too far in the future we see even our own property and our right to do with that property as we wish, taken from us as well. Everyday new laws are going into effect; new Bills are being pasted by our elected officials that most of us are unaware of. To be honest with you, our government has lost the direction of "for the people" yet now enact more laws "against the people". Special interest groups and our government are pushing Bills to restrict American rights; even in our hobbies we enjoy every day. Read More

Join WATTS Application

The Western Mining Alliance is the organization of independent miners across the West. Since our inception in the small, historic mining town of Laporte where we had three people, we have now grown into a movement of thousands of miners. Based in Reno, Nevada, The Western Mining Alliance is defending the rights of over 55,000 claim holders across the West. Our objective is simple, to restore our Constitutional rights to mine and to present science based evidence on the truth about mining.

Western Mining Alliance Website

Western Mining Alliance Facebook Page

AMRA-American Mining Rights Association is a 501 (c)(3) Non-profit Association and was created by miners and public land users, for miners and public land users to preserve and maintain their rights as they pertain to access to their public lands and their rights to obtain the minerals on those lands. We are not a gold club but rather an advocacy group.

AMRA Website

AMRA FaceBook Page

May News Link

Get the Latest News from these websites. Gold Prospectors Association of America (GPAA) - News on legal issues for the gold prospecting community.

Gold Prospectors Website

GPAA - Facebook Page

April News Link

Prospecting and Mining Journal (IMCJ)- News on legal issues in the gold prospecting community.

Prospecting and Mining Journal Website

IMCJ Facebook Page

May News Link

Public Lands for the People - A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit
Organization

Public Lands for the People Website

PLP Facebook Page

PLP was constructed for the purpose of representing all outdoor user groups and individuals that are interested in keeping public and private lands open to prospecting, mining, and outdoor recreation on a non-discriminatory basis! PLP assists groups to join forces to maintain the laws and rights of all citizens on public and private lands (Federal, State and City). PLP will assist with representation at public hearings of government agencies that are proposing limitations and restrictions on the lands that belong to the people. PLP DOES LITIGATE! We will file injunctions, when necessary, to prevent governmental agencies from discussing public issues behind closed doors and calling them “personnel meetings”. We will come to the aid of, and give individual attention to, persons or groups who are being harassed, intimidated or mislead by people in authority (in or out of uniform) who are attempting to enforce their own ideas or opinions of laws, rules or regulations, rather than the actual laws, rules or regulations, and what it actually means.

04-30-19 NEW Action Requested Read the Complete News Release PLP has proposed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) called “Critical Minerals: National Security Amendments to the NDAA”. This Critical Minerals Amendment, written and proposed by our legal researcher Clark Pearson, solves most of the small miner’s regulatory problems observed by PLP over the last 29 years. A huge amount of research and practical knowledge has gone into this amendment. It was written by a working small miner to help all miners, big and small. It provides clear and concise regulatory certainty in dealing with all regulatory bodies the miner faces today. PLP is presently seeking co-sponsors on the House and Senate side.

This Critical Minerals amendment is a must read and should go down as the most important piece of legislation to help the mining industry in a very long time. You can help us TAKE ACTION! PLP has started a petition drive at: https://www.publiclandsforthepeople.org/take-action/ where you can read the proposed legislation and support material then electronically sign the petition. Your signature, along with thousands of others will be shown to select members of the United States Congress and Senate. The signatures will convince legislators of the groundswell grassroots support and that the time to act is now. ICMJ’s Prospecting and Mining Journal, which has documented our progress in Washington, D.C., also has it available for viewing and comment at: www.icmj.com.

The ICMJ has also taken the lead to receive individual miner and mining association endorsements in support of the “Critical Minerals: National Security Amendments to the NDAA” on their Facebook page or by sending your endorsement to their mailing address:
ICMJ P.O. Box 2260 Aptos, CA 95001

Read the detailed PLP update here: https://www.icmj.com/magazine/article/plp-update-4022/

Please do your part to help us Take It Back and Keep It! Renew your personal, business or club membership and PLEASE HAVE ALL YOUR CLUB members join PLP as well. Encourage everyone to be an active part of the solution and be among those who are making history.

04-15-19 PLP New 2019 Grand Raffle is underway! Get your tickets early!

12-19-18 PLP Newsletter
PLP’s Trump Card
Shhhhhhh… Don’t tell anyone but do you know what happens when dredge protests fail, fines are paid on unreasonable regulations and when the courts are not in your favor? Legislation- not ordinary legislation but must-pass legislation for budget and national security reasons. Fortunately, PLP along with the National Mining Association placed mining for the very first time in history (signed into law by President Trump August 13, 2018) so that the needs of the miners are a matter of national security under the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Previously on December 20, 2017 PLP and the USGS were instrumental in having President Trump sign executive order #13817 requiring the federal government to develop and implement a strategy to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign sources for critical and strategic minerals and metals.

PLP’s work in D.C. is starting to pay off - at the Presidential level, and the agency level through direct communication on the sound premise that domestic mining regulatory relief needs are a matter of national security. President Trump in signing executive orders such as #13771, #13777 and #13817 all move the federal agencies to provide the mining community the needed regulatory relief utilizing PLP’s supplied legal research, ICMJ supplied miners complaint letters, and the experience supplied at the right time and place to the top decision makers and their writers.

We are making incremental steps implementing PLP’s Small Miner Amendments through our influence at the Executive order level, the agency rulemaking level and the Congressional level through the NDAA. Rest assured, the foundations PLP are laying along with our property rights allies, are being laid regardless of the fighting between President Trump, the Democrats or the Republicans.

Fellow Miners and Patriots, if you are going to be part of the continuing effort to repeal duplicative regulations, join or renew your PLP Membership now to keep our gains moving forward and receive the…drum roll please…

The first annual "Drain the Swamp" PLP Calendar
This nifty calendar has many important dates highlighted such as the dates President Trump signed key Executive Orders that help miners. You will also receive a PLP T-Shirt AND a book of 12 raffle tickets to our 2019 Grand Raffle!

Please join or renew now while quantities last at www.PublicLandsForThePeople.org/join/

You can also order extra 2019 Grand Raffle tickets by calling 844.PLP.1990 (844.757.1990). We are offering many expensive prizes this year!

We are happy to report that the SCOTUS made a great ruling regarding private property rights and critical habitat designations where the USFWS had designated critical habitat for a frog that no longer existing in that area. We are happy with this ruling and are looking forward to many more common sense rulings from the SCOTUS in the future. For the SCOTUS ruling, click here.

PLP is heading to D.C. again in early January, so please help us win the next round in getting regulatory relief for small scale miners, Join PLP or Renew today! With your support we can…..
"Take It Back And KEEP IT!”

Thank you!
Your Board of Directors
Public Lands for the People

August 15, 2018 PLP News Release
Public Lands for the People delivered information to the Federal EPA in Washington DC in March that legally explained that suction dredgers do not “add” a pollutant within the meaning of the Federal Clean Water Act requiring a 402 or 404 pollution discharge permit. The EPA has assured us of a decision in the near future, as it was passed to their specialists on the matter.

As we know, whether it is California’s SB 637, or the CA Water Board, or Idaho’s IDWR, they all defer to the Federal EPA regarding exemptions when the Feds choose to specifically state such. The fact is, the States get funds from the Federal government to carry out these directives. PLP is continuing to follow this matter up and resolve it under the Trump administration so that suction dredgers will not be labeled polluters requiring discharge permits in CA or any other State. PLP strongly believes that by submitting to a 402 permit, as some have advocated (see the article below this newsletter: “Surrendering to the Pollution Permit”), miners will run the risk of undermining and subverting our negotiations with the Federal EPA to resolve this issue at a national level.

PLP also believes that when the true costs of the $6,000 permit plus the cost of hiring a water monitoring engineer per dredger (or group of dredgers), at $50,000 comes to light (which is now being hidden), dredgers will be rightfully outraged as this will not be affordable, nor reasonable. We can say this with relative certainty based upon our experts with real experience in past permitting, going back to the year 2000! Read More

07-30-18 PLP 2018 Grand Raffle Winners Press Release
We are excited to announce the winners of this year's Grand Raffle drawing. We are humbled by the positive notes and calls of support from so many of you as you ordered tickets, bought memberships and just donated because you want to stand with us in the fight to keep our public land rights. THANK YOU!

½ ounce GOLD NUGGET Donated by minerskeepers.com – Richard Kelsey
4 stack GOLD CUBE Donated by Goldcube – John Cross
Dry concentrator Donated by Mad Mining – Jim Henesh
Macro Gold racer Detector Donated by The Miners Cache – Brian Winter
Mining claim location service Donated by Josh Reinke – Thomas Sager
Stake claim Workshop Donated by Josh Reinke – Dick Tieben
California Mining Claim Donated by Ron Kliewer/ www.goldrushu.com – Roger Bowman
Kwik Kiln Donated by GPK Company – Robert Davies
Recirculating sluicebox Donated by Mad Mining – Laren Crawford
Goldstrike mini washplant package Donated by Goldstrike Adventures – Jeff Lawlis
Fast Furnace Kiln Donated by fastfurnacecompany – Roger wingo
Tike Strike concentrator Donated by Spikestrike sluices – Gearge Cowie
Stowaway concentrator Donated by Spikestrike sluices – Jeffrey Courter
Gold ram panning sluice Donated by Spikestrike sluices – Ron Renter
Read More

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June 26, 2017 PLP Grand Raffle Press Release
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December 19, 2016 Latest News Press Release
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February 29, 2016 PLP Press Release Read More
January 21, 2016 PLP Press Release
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December 17, 2015 PLP Press Release
December 03, 2015 PLP Press Release Annual PLP Christmas Party December 17th
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October 12, 2015 Feinstein Whitewater Public Meeting Details PLP News Release
September 03, 2105 PLP/MMAC Oktoberfest Fundraise Press Release
August 13, 2015 PLP/MMAC Oktoberfest Fundraiser
August 10, 2015 PLP Request Joshua Tree National Park: Eagle Mountain Follow Up
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May 08, 2015 PLP Miners Win Federal Preemption Press Release
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March 17, 2015 Cleveland National Forest has decided to close more roads PLP Press Release
March 03, 2015 MINERS DECLARE INDEPENDENCE-MMAC Press Release
February 23, 2015 We rolling out a new website PLP News Release & Request
January 21, 2015 A win for PLP is a win for the small scale mining community and all public land users. Read the Complete Press Release
January 14, 2015 PLP Press Release
December 29, 2014 Tribute to Jerry Hobbs Read the Complete Press Release
October 23, 2014 Three things in this press release PLP wants to inform you about. Press Release
October 07, 2014 Press Release The Oregon State House,
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/allow-suction-dredge?source=s.icn.em.mt&r_by=11403933
January 01, 2014 Public Lands for the People marching towards VICTORY! YouTube Video